Chicago Stout Releases (2020)

https://www.facebook.com/101202691274361/posts/213416466719649/?substory_index=0

 

I went to my first classic last fall, most excellent. I take it there are typically one per year, and this year it seems they are switching to the Spring. I would prefer this in the Fall to kick off Stout season, but will be there nonetheless.

Thanks for the heads up!

 

So this 4 hands Madagascar Vanilla Nitro....is it supposed to be flat, with no head? Seems like the opposite of a nitro beer?

 

Did you pour hard, bro?

 

Lol. I thought about posting for opinions as I was curious about if this was worth picking up..I guess you settled that for me.

 

This may sound silly but honestly I can't tell if you are serious or joking. I know some beers are supposed to be poured straight up and down, and some not. In this particular case I did the Guinness 50/50 method. Still, flat. No bubbles. Where are the bubbles? (edit: Or rather, the sheeting?)

 

I picked up a 2 pack of the Kittywampus from Beer Cellar yesterday. Never had any Foreign Exchange beers before but I remember Ricky from some beer groups so was excited to try.

It has a very smooth creamy character thanks to the lactose and vanilla, while also having a fair amount of coffee. Very smooth and mellow sweetness. No roasty bitterness.

I thought it was a pretty well made beer, but a bit too much lactose for me personally. Anyone who is a fan of lactose stouts though should pick this up.

 

Drago release party 3-21-20:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2020-d...tXcklTHLc_r-BXMh9IKSzVGw1Zt75pcCJOJRS4fmRNjkM

This year's variants:
Regular Drago
Mole Stout Drago
Almond Boy Drago
Hazelnut Drago

 

Same haha, I'm sure the coconut and cacao one is gone now too.

 

FYI : I want full tasting reports about Dovetail's Baltic Porter now on tap.
FMI.
Thanks.

 

I poured so damn hard, bro. Got maybe a half inch of head.

Yeah, it's pretty much like drinking a flat beer. The vanilla is well done in this batch. At least for my taste. So there's that.

Noticed the price of the bomber and the coconut variant is down a $1 from last year. I passed on both, but couldn't pass up the siren song of the nitro. They need to put a widget in this thing and/or dump some more R&D into this if it's something they plan on packaging again.

 

Lookout Barclay cause I'm coming at ya. Be on the lookout for my GoFundMe soon
https://learn.beerandbrewing.com/courses/mastering-barrel-aged-stouts-with-side-project-brewing

 

Saw some BA Darkness floating around but at $27ish, I couldn't justify it. I really like Darkness and BA Darkness (especially BA Darkness) but the price point is just outlandish.

 

DITTO! It's a crowded market compared to just two years ago - lots of terrific and easily attainable 4pks of BA Stouts <$20 including BA Ten Fidy, BA Narwhal, Big Bad Baptist, all from CW, etc...
And if you include the <$30 group of 4pks it gets pretty ridiculous with Deth's Tar, Rye Hipster Brunch and others from Odd Side, BA Fun Size, etc...

 

Honestly, maybe I'm a bit of a dork but the wax top and special feeling you get when opening a bomber of a great stout almost made me pull the trigger. I didn't, but I do miss the feeling. It's just not the same popping a can open.

 

maybe?

Naw, we all crave ritual and luxury experiences. Half Acre was smart to put Benthic in those neat boxes. More and more, I’m seeing cardboard tubes with two cans in them to give that “bomber-like” experience on the shelf.

The old me would have purchased one in a heartbeat. The 2020 me was briefly tempted, but will remain strong. I walked by Binny’s LP earlier today and didn’t even poke my head in!

I’ll try it if I run across it on draft, but I won’t seek it out. I have enough beer to last me through a six month quarantine, so I shouldn’t buy any more. I definitely won’t buy this. (Quickly glances at untappd rating). Dammit. Maybe I’ll buy it? I do love verticals.

I hate you all!

 

After the 80th time nearly splitting my finger open with that wax stuff, I'm firmly in the NO WAX EVER camp, personally.

 

I just score the wax right underneath the cap around the bottle with a small knife and then use the bottle opener. Never had wax in any of my beers.

 

If you guys are into one-off BCBS variants, Goose Island Fulton will have Saskatoon Berry BCBS on Saturday at 2. They're calling it Prairie Berry Stout.

 

I normally don’t mind wax, but Surly wax is just obnoxious. It’s like 7 layers deep. I’ve had the same experiences with theirs.